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April 30, 2012

Google Cube, A Game For Non-Gamers

by editor

Review by John Neumann for RedOrbit.com

Are you one of the dozens of people around the globe aching to drive a tiny ball through digital neighborhoods and learn the wonders of Google´s mapping program? Yea, neither am I. However, if such an idea pushes your pleasure centers, roll on over to Google Cube and knock yourself out. You'll need Google Chrome to play, however.

Google Cube places players on a giant, six-panel cube that spins when generating each of eight new levels. Players are given a series of tasks that all require you to tilt the cube, Labyrinth-style, moving your marker to a number of targets — all real-life locations, all rather yawn-inducing.

On one mission, for example, Google slaps a simulated traffic layer over the map, such as you would otherwise find within Google´s actual Maps application, writes David Murphy for PCMag. Moving through congested roads slows your little marker/marble down and, hold on to your hats, moving through “green” traffic lets you roll along at your normal pace.

There are eight levels simulating real-world locations to enjoy, Manhattan, San Francisco, Paris, London, Tokyo, Las Vegas, the Mall of America, and a mix-match of all the different cities combined, reports VentureBeat´s Meghan Kelly.

After you complete one of these levels, a box will pop up and tell you how long it took you to finish the level and a little fact about how Google Maps can make your life better. Google Maps for Android is mentioned as well, in case you were unaware that Google´s mobile OS carries their own mapping applications.

Google Cube was originally designed to help kick-off the gaming aspect of Google+, just like Facebook does, but without the hundreds of millions of daily users or mountains of income.

Google´s Cube game can be a pleasant enough timewaster, but it´s nothing that need be taken seriously. The game also tracks just how long it takes you to complete the map and the game, so if you feel inclined to share it with your friend on Google+, the company makes it easy to do so. Or one could share your achievement across the real, virtual world. There are options to share your score with Facebook and Twitter as well.